Will Obama eat crow if Putin wins in Syria?

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/07/middleeast/syria-aleppo-siege/index.html

 The fact is that Obama claimed Putin was entering a quagmire in Syria that would devour forces to no effect in a veil of tears. But Obama doesn't know the savagery that a real anti-revolutionary action can wreak. And Russia is not a European nation, it is an Asian one more familiar with unconventional warfare.
Wreaking havoc is a location hazard.

Putin is entirely capable of killing every man, woman, and child in rebel zones. He has enough intestinal fortitude to crush all enemies of Assad in order to win. In fact it was the Russians that cut off the illegal oil supply train to Turkey from IS territory days after launching into Syria. Why wasn't the US coalition cutting off the money supply?

 Putin is helping Assad consolidate the Western half of the nation before they turn their weapons on the rest of the insurgents.  So far, it's the only strategy working.


The US and Western allies are not. The pundits are now comparing Syria to Chechnya; where Islamists tried to take away a state from Russian influence and in return the Russians obliterated all Islamist areas in Grozny. Resistance no more.

The West is too civilized carry out savagery.  If Putin crushes the rebels in order to unite one side of Syria against IS, then will Obama be in a position to be wrong about his prediction. Will he eat crow if Putin does what he is capable of?

Ironically, Trump may be right to let Putin handle the Syrian

The Other Reason Putin is Attacking ISIS / Rebels

It's been reported by Western reporters the obvious reasons why Putin is on the march in Syria. Oil, European sanction lifting, his economy...

This one shows Putin took my advice and is trying to put a wedge between Europe and USA for his own benefit.  http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/28/putins-moves-in-syria-may-be-linked-to-sanction-hopes.html

But the less reported reasons are perfectly plain if you look at Russian newspapers. In English.

They understand the power dynamic of Assad versus the other factions. But what they don't seem to see is that Arabs won't accept Assad.


First, Russians are just as horrified as the West about ISIS and it's brutality.
 The Russian people have not had 10 years of agony and war in the Middle East so their younger generation doesn't know what the USA is recovering from. Young people don't have memory. Russians don't like Islam and don't want to sit by while they gain strength.

What some people don't realize is that Putin is very much like Bush II, they both believe in the Wolfowitz Doctrine. 


Of course in Russia and Syria, they believe ISIS is a USA invention. 


But more importantly, Russia is afraid of attacks at home. 

According to Sotnikiv, terrorists may arrange terrorist attacks inside Russia as well.

"They could be terrorist attacks on train stations, or in any place, where they can find some kind of breach in security. They have a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, this is inevitable, because there are underground extremist groups in Russia too, and they will declare war on the Russian Federation under the pretext of helping brothers in Islam," the expert said.

"Terror attacks may occur in the near future - not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Russia - anywhere in Russia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

- See more at: http://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/02-10-2015/132226-russia_isis-0/#sthash.GpPjRAmn.dpuf

 "They will use any type of attacks, but this war has only just begun, and, like in any war, the enemy will fight back. There is definitely a serious threat to the Russian military. There will be attacks against Russia and then there will be more of them to follow," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

According to Sotnikiv, terrorists may arrange terrorist attacks inside Russia as well.

"They could be terrorist attacks on train stations, or in any place, where they can find some kind of breach in security. They have a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, this is inevitable, because there are underground extremist groups in Russia too, and they will declare war on the Russian Federation under the pretext of helping brothers in Islam," the expert said.

"Terror attacks may occur in the near future - not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Russia - anywhere in Russia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

"They will use any type of attacks, but this war has only just begun, and, like in any war, the enemy will fight back. There is definitely a serious threat to the Russian military. There will be attacks against Russia and then there will be more of them to follow," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

According to Sotnikiv, terrorists may arrange terrorist attacks inside Russia as well.

"They could be terrorist attacks on train stations, or in any place, where they can find some kind of breach in security. They have a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, this is inevitable, because there are underground extremist groups in Russia too, and they will declare war on the Russian Federation under the pretext of helping brothers in Islam," the expert said.

"Terror attacks may occur in the near future - not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Russia - anywhere in Russia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

- See more at: http://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/02-10-2015/132226-russia_isis-0/#sthash.GpPjRAmn.dpuf

 According to Sotnikiv, terrorists may arrange terrorist attacks inside Russia as well.

"They could be terrorist attacks on train stations, or in any place, where they can find some kind of breach in security. They have a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, this is inevitable, because there are underground extremist groups in Russia too, and they will declare war on the Russian Federation under the pretext of helping brothers in Islam," the expert said.

"Terror attacks may occur in the near future - not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Russia - anywhere in Russia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

- See more at: http://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/02-10-2015/132226-russia_isis-0/#sthash.GpPjRAmn.dpuf

http://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/02-10-2015/132226-russia_isis-0/

Putin's bumble presents an opportunity.

Putin went on record defending military intervention in Syria, and recommended that other nations consider assisting the Syrian regime in countering terrorism ISIS. He recommended coordinating with Assad to fight terror.

To defend propping up his ally is understandable, but recommending other nations, presumably European nations and America, to get involved directly was a strategic blunder.  While it is true it would be easier  assisting Assad, the West wants Assad out.  They would rather see him fall even if that means longer war against ISIS.

Putin's offer could be used to backfire on Assad. Perhaps he believes the west won't intervene directly. But what's to stop American and European forces to set up a base inside free Syrian army held territory near Aleppo?

What's to stop Western forces taking an airbase inside Syria and propping up pro western forces directly? One  could claim Putin just invited us.